Pressing Spotlight: ‘Under the Pipal Tree’ by Mono
Recently pressed at Citizen Vinyl: Under the Pipal Tree by Mono — 25th Anniversary Edition 2xLP on Iridescent Forest Night colored vinyl (only 1,000). Available for pre-order from Temporary Residence Ltd. Ships in late March.
Under The Pipal Tree is the debut album by now-legendary Japanese experimental rock band, MONO. Released in 2001 on avant-garde icon John Zorn’s Tzadik label, Under The Pipal Tree showcased a young Japanese quartet whose wide range of influences – most notably Sonic Youth, Mogwai, The Velvet Underground, and Neil Young’s Crazy Horse – were on ferocious and ambitious display. Though MONO would eventually become known for their expert marriage of metal and classical genres, Under The Pipal Tree highlights the band’s psychedelic roots. Long stretches of hypnotic, melodic washes give way to scorching guitar freakouts that evaporate into haunting silence. It’s remarkable not just for its earnest exploration, but for its startling execution. Fifteen years and eight albums later, Under The Pipal Tree stands as one of the great debut albums by a seminal underground band.
About Mono: The Tokyo, Japan-based 4-piece instrumental rock band MONO (Takaakira 'Taka' Goto on guitar, Tamaki on bass and piano, Yoda on guitar, and Dahm on drums) was originally formed in 1999. The band's original style of fusing rock and classical music has received worldwide acclaim as a new form of deeply moving music — one that evokes the emotions and imagery hidden deep within the listener’s heart: joy and sorrow, light and darkness, life and death. As British Musical Magazine NME once stated, “this is music for the Gods."
Over its first decade, MONO established a well-acclaimed status, especially with its live performances. Through the group's annual world tour consisting of around 150 shows, visiting now over 60 countries, both critics and fans of agreed the sheer euphoric, dynamic resonance of performance made MONO one of the best live bands in existence.
2024 marked the 25th anniversary of MONO. To celebrate, the band released its 12th album, OATH, and toured 16 countries — France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan and the United States — with an orchestra.